Cleaning apparatus with quickly replaceable cleaning head

ABSTRACT

A cleaning apparatus comprises: a main rod, a fastening device, a cleaning head and a wringing device. Two holding plates are mounted on the fastening device via two movable connecting pieces. The cleaning head has two hold plates and a sweeping element, attached to lower sides of the held plates. The held plates carry L-shaped fastening devices which respectively engage with openings in the holding plates and point outward, thereby being stably held in place due to elasticity of the sweeping element. Mounting and removing of the cleaning head is performed in a single step by longitudinal compressing of the sweeping element and allowing the fastening elements to engage with and disengage from the openings.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus with quickly replaceable cleaning head, particularly to a cleaning apparatus with quickly replaceable cleaning head, which is mounted by having L-shaped fastening elements on held plates engage with openings on holding plates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In daily life, cleaning apparatuses with handles are important tools for cleaning, so that bending down or kneeling during cleaning of a floor is avoided. A cleaning apparatus generally has a handle and a cleaning head, which is a bundle of cotton strings or a wiping cloth. The cleaning head is wrung manually or by feet, which is laborious and unhygienic.

An improved cleaning apparatus has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,509 B2. As shown in FIG. 5, a conventional cleaning apparatus 1 comprises: a main rod 10, which is a tube; a fastening device 20, fixed on a lower end 12 of the main rod 10 and having two fastening ends 24; two holding plates 61, fastened to a lower side of the fastening device 20, having several openings 65; two movable connecting pieces 71, each having an upper hole 73, which is hingedly connected by a bolt with one of the fastening ends 24, and a lower hole 75, which which is hingedly connected by a bolt with one of the connecting pieces 71; a cleaning head 80 a, consisting of a flexible held pan 81 a and an elongated sweeping part 82 a, with several elastic snap-fastening elements 83 a with protrusions 84 a placed on an upper surface of the held part 81 a; and a wringing device 30, pushing the two holding plates 61 inward towards each other for wringing. By having the protrusions 84 a enter the openings 65 and pulling out the protrusions 84 a therefrom, the cleaning head 80 a is mounted and removed, respectively.

However, since the snap-fastening dements 83 a are separately pressed into and pulled out from the openings 65, mounting and removing the cleaning head 80 a is inconvenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to provide a cleaning apparatus having a cleaning head that is quickly and easily mounted and dismounted.

For achieving above objects, the present invention comprises cleaning apparatus comprises a main rod, a fastening device, a cleaning head and a wringing device. Two holding plates arc mounted on the fastening device via two movable connecting pieces. The cleaning head has two held plates and a sweeping element, attached to lower sides of the held plates. The held plates carry L-shaped fastening devices which respectively engage with openings in the holding plates and point outward, thereby being stably held in place due to elasticity of the sweeping element. Mounting and removing of the cleaning head is performed in a single step by longitudinal compressing of the sweeping element and allowing the fastening elements to engage with and disengage from the openings.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention in a disassembled state.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of one of the fastening elements engaging with one of the openings of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the movement of dismounting the cleaning head of the present invention.

FIG. 5 (prior art) is a perspective view of a conventional cleaning apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the present invention is a cleaning apparatus 1, comprising: a main rod 10; a fastening device 20; two holding plates 61; two movable connecting pieces 71; a cleaning head 80; and a wringing device 30. (In FIGS. 1 and 5, same structural parts are denoted in the same way.) The two holding plates 61 have several openings 65, which correspond to fastening elements 83 on two held plates 81 on the cleaning head 80, allowing fastening and unfastening in a single step, so that the cleaning head 80 is easily replaced.

Referring to FIG. 2, the wringing device 30, for wringing the cleaning head 80, pushes the two holding plates 61 inward, towards each other, which is conventional art and therefore needs no further description.

Referring to FIG. 3, the cleaning head 80 comprises two held plates 81 and a sweeping part 82, attached to lower sides thereof. The two held plates 81 carry the fastening elements 83, which are shaped like the letter L and engage with the openings 65 in the two holding plates 61. Each of the fastening elements 83 has a vertical section 84, which is attached to one of the two held plates 81 on an upper side thereof, and a horizontal section 86, which points towards an outer end of one of the two holding plates 61 and, after being put through one of the openings 65, is shifted towards the outer end into a holding position to hold one of the two holding plates 61 from a top side thereof. After manually pressing on the sweeping part 82 from two ends thereof, the fastening elements 83 are pushed through the openings 65. After releasing the sweeping part 82, due to elasticity thereof, an outward force pushes the fastening elements 83 into the holding positions thereof.

As shown in FIG. 4, all fastening elements 83 on a common of the two held plates 81 pass simultaneously through the openings 65 for mounting the cleaning head 80.

Referring again to FIG. 3, for having the cleaning head 80 mounted stably, the two holding plates 61 carry, next to each of the openings 65, a projection 67. Correspondingly, the horizontal section 86 of each of the fastening elemenb 83 has a depression 87 on a lower side thereof. After putting the fastening elements 83 through the openings 65 and horizontal shilling of the fastening elements 83 into the holding positions thereof, the projections 67 respectively engage with the depressions 87, so that the fastening elements 83 are held stably. Dismounting of the cleaning head 80 is quickly performed, while mounting is stable.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A cleaning apparatus, comprising: a main rod, defining a vertical direction; a fastening device, fastened to a lower end of said main rod, having two horizontally outward extending fastening ends, further comprising two holding plates, respectively mounted on said two fastening ends by two movable connecting pieces with upper and lower holes for hingedly connecting with said fastening ends and said holding plates, respectively, wherein each of said holding plates has a plurality of openings; a cleaning head, mounted on said two holding plates, further comprising two held plates and a sweeping part, attached to lower sides of said held plates, wherein each of said held plates has a plurality of fastening elements on upper sides thereof, which respectively engage with said openings of said holding plates, each of said fastening elements being shaped like the letter L, having a vertical section attached to said upper side of one of said held plates and a horizontal section, which, having been put through one of said openings of said holding plates and shifted towards an outer end thereof, holds one of said holding plates; and a wringing device, pressing said two holding plates towards each other; wherein, due to elasticity of said sweeping part, said fastening elements are pressed towards said outer ends of said holding plates and stably held.
 2. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said holding plates on said upper sides thereof have projections, each placed close to one of said openings, and said horizontal sections of said fastening element have depressions, respectively engaging with said projections, so that said fastening elements are stably positioned. 